BRAINSTORMING PAGE

Female Pot Smokers

Lauren Nucci

This documentary film will take an inside look into the marijuana culture of female users. The documentary style will be used to interview users and follow a daily routine for a female pot smoker. Interviews will ask subjects when they use, why they use, how difficult or easy it is to get the pot, how it makes them feel, and so forth. Interviews will reveal the ages and history of each subjects marijuana use. Faces will be blurred out for those who wish to remain anonymous. Similar shows to this will be Intervention, True Life, 16 & Pregnant, and Cops. The target audience would be females, all marijuana users, and will include viewers aged 17-30. The documentary would be distributed to MSNBC, MTV, and FX.

Kristopher Turner

The show idea is good, but would keeping it only on pot smokers eventually cause the episodes to become too similar? The people that I've meet who use marijuana usually start in a similar way. Every season or half a season this show could go into females using other types of drugs Other things not mentioned that can be included are whether or not the person goes into a rehab type program and its success, females and views from other cultures throughout the world (most likely unable to do in this class), and any other drugs involved.

Helena Esdaile

I would watch this show. i like the idea that you single out women because sometimes they can be overlooked. Because marijuana is a popular topic it will get ratings, especially because it will get personal with the users of the drug. I would also watch this show because i can relate to it, i know friends and family members who have had struggles with drugs in their life.

Sarah Popek:

I think there is a show here, but I'm worried that advertisers wouldn't want to promote their products on a show that could be seen to be promoting drug culture. Is your show pro-drugs? Anti-drugs? Somewhere in between? Unbiased? I think you would have to make sure you had a firm point of view that would be true to your subject but also wouldn't alienate more conservative viewers (and networks, and advertisers).

Dominique Spooner: This show defitenly sounds interesting and you are exploring a subject that has never been explored before. Smoking marijuana is presumed to be a masculine thing and because of that stereotype I'm thinking the direction in which you can go with this is to depict how smoking marijuana is not just a boys only club. Women who smoke can tell their stories as to why they smoke and who they become when they smoke. Are they seen as masculine? Do they look unattractive to others? This can definitely be a social experiment. I am not telling you to go this route but I do believe this needs more direction.

Bob Crouse

Even with the anonymity, would people still come forward to be a part of this show? Weed is not a drug like heroin, but it is still illegal (sadly) through out most of the country. California is probably where most of this show would have to be filmed. There are a few other states that allow medicinal marijuana to be sold but they a they are few and far from in between each other. If this show gets produced, it has serious potential. It could be a platform that promotes marijuana if it is portrayed the right way. It can also have a negative impact for the weed community if people say or do the wrong things.

2 LOOKING-GLASS LANE

Anna Aupperle

This experimental sci-fi/soap opera webseries would follow five twenty-something urbanites and their bizarre experiences living in the house at 2 Looking-Glass Lane. Something about the house just isn't quite right - and when the house's five inhabitants realize they've slipped into a constantly changing time frame, the world about them is about to change - literally. Most major archetypes will be present: the humorous, unemployed college dropout; the young, hungry businessman, who'll do anything to get to the top; the brilliant-but-lazy musician, who spends most of his days with his guitar; the lonely writer/narrator, waiting for her big break; and the uptight undergrad, with her sights set on Harvard Law. Presented in a season of 10 separate 10-20 minute segments, the program will focus on playing with the conception of time and space. Similarly, footage will be sped up and slowed down to match the "through the looking-glass" world of Looking-Glass Lane. The key to these webisodes would be their emphasis on fan involvement: edits would be quick and jumpy (made for Tumblr gifs), and the creative development of future storylines would be open to fan involvement (through use of fan fiction, etc.). Similar programs include: Doctor Who, Torchwood, and Being Human (in terms of content), and Dorm Life, Resonance, and Little White Lie (in terms of form). The program's target audience would include: teens (especially teenage girls, who are traditionally early-adopters of online fan content), all adults ages 18-29, and science-fiction fans across age categories. Possible distributors include: YouTube, Tumblr, and/or a partnership with a major traditional content provider (e.g. Syfy, SOAPnet, FOX, etc.). (Clearly this would be an idea too involved to physically produce for this course!)
Questions: Would this be too complex of an idea for an audience to follow in less than 20-minute segments - why or why not? Can adequate character development occur in a complex webseries of this magnitude - why or why not? Would content developed for fan engagement (with the express purpose of inciting the creation of a fandom community) be appealing to an audience - what kinds of issues could this present in and of itself?

Annaliese Morris

Im confused about what this is actually about but I think thats a good thing because makes me curious to watch. I don't think think this is too complex of an idea to follow in the less than 20-minute segments however adequate character development might be hard to achieve with so many main characters. Maybe it should focus on one or two central characters that meet different one time starring characters each episode. All in all this show sounds very interesting and would probably get a huge following online.

3 Kappa Sig-MY WHAT?!

Ashley Wolf

This reality show would give the viewers an inside scoop on what a fraternity and/or sorority is about and how they function. It would target college students and juniors/seniors in high school. It would be aired around ten PM or so, considering it would contain some material inappropriate for kids under the age of 17. The main idea of the show is to teach the audience about frats/sororities and what they stand for, how they were started, how they are funded year after year,if they are involved with community activities/services, etc. It will also show the parties and tension within their houses that is typically shown in reality shows. It would probably be an hour length show and aired on whatever station that still shows these shows.

Helena Esdaile

This show sounds interesting and if i was in high school i would have watched it. Many people do not know what fraternities and sororities are really about. Some think they just consist of partying, which is not the case. so i believe this would show the fun part which comes with conflict to keep viewers attention, but also the proactive part of these organizations.

Sarah Popek:

As a member of a Greek organization, I can tell you that you will have a very, very difficult time getting fraternities and/or sororities to agree to being filmed. Most if not all Greeks have to abide by strict rules set down by their National offices, so any partying/hazing/other scandalous activities usually associated with Greeks that were recorded and broadcast could get both the Chapter and the entire organization in trouble. Most of the stuff that goes on in Greek houses follows a long-standing tradition of secrecy, so while I'm not saying that making this show will be impossible, I do think that casting will be difficult, and the consequences of your show airing could potentially be great.

Lauren Nucci

I think this is a great idea for a show and that it would be popular with high school as well as college students. Personally, all I know about Frats and Sororities is that they throw parties. I would be interested in learning and seeing what else they do, especially for community benefit. I would definitely highlight different Frats and Sororities at different colleges to show a blend of insight on what they actually do.

Samantha Antona

I definitely think this show has an audience, I would watch it, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. I agree that there may be some obstacles because of the strict rules of Greek Life, but there are strict rules almost anywhere so if you can find a way to make it happen, I think a lot of people would be interested. I even think the inner workings of a soririty that you mentioned, like how they're funded and what they stand for would be interesting because I don't think many people know much about them.

James Seltzer
I would totally watch this show. To be honest, I am surprised that MTV or VH1 or some other similar minded station does not have a show like this already. The potential for hardcore drinking and subsequent fools being made of themselves, there is a great chance at producing real life humor. Plus, with a bunch of college kids, there will be drama inherent in the show because there is always drama with college kids. Great idea. My one recommendation would be to choose maybe 2 frats and 2 sororities (all 4 from different schools) and have them be the basis for the stories. That way, you get a nice blend of characters and differing stories, but also maintain a steady group of characters that the audience can get to know.

Matt Flocco

I agree with Sarah, concept is great but there would be so much red tape that you would have to cut through. By the time you get all the permission, you also wouldn't be getting the authenticity that you're looking for in the first place. It seems like you would either get watered down goody two shoes frats/sororities or have an untruthful reality show that is way over the top and the stereotype the American audience would expect. Maybe if you spun this into a drama is might work better? I know that Greek already exists, but maybe you could find another spin on it.

Meghan Coronado

This is a good idea!! It would give a lot of insight about what fraternities/sororities are really like and hopefully clear the air for any misconceptions about it. I am personally not a fan of frats/sororities but I would probably watch this show because I would be really curious to see what really happens/goes on in a sorority/fraternity house. Would it be portrayed positively or negatively though? Either way I think doing this as a reality show would probably be really entertaining. This could definitely be a show that would be aired on MTV, they would probably take this idea in a heart beat, especially considering all the shitty shows they have on now.

4. Case Closed

Mary Rush

This is a serial narrative show of the horror/mystery/suspense genre. The anchor of the show will be a briefcase that changes its contents depending on who opens it. The suitcase knows your weaknesses and what it will take to drive you to your death. Each season will focus around a different main character that opens the briefcase in the first episode and dies as a result of what that briefcase gave them in the season finale. Shows that are similar to this are American Horror Story, Lost, Grimm, The Secret Circle and Ringer. The target audience would be college students, 18 - 41 year olds, and fans of the horror/mystery/suspense genre. The show will be distributed to The CW, MTV, and FX.

Kristopher Turner

I like this idea. Would probably need to use cliff hangars when the show would go into a mid season break. The dieing as a result of the item is good and can be something indirect such as the example you gave with greed. The money is used to start a business and in the end the problems cause him to commit suicide by jumping out of his office building or a business partner kills him. I was wondering how far the show would go with the items presented.

Anna Aupperle:

This idea is really interesting, Mary! It would definitely be a serial show - you couldn't afford to miss an episode, because you'd be lost the whole season! This sounds a bit like what American Horror Story is going for - the "anthology" show. I was a bit confused, though - will the audience know the main character is going to die in the first episode of the series (and the series is then about what gets them to that "death"), or does the audience not know the main character will die until the last episode? If it is the latter explanation, and if this ran for several seasons (or even the 100 episodes every executive producer dreams of creating), I would wonder if the audience would "catch on" to the plot device - and if that would somehow make the show less appealing to a network (especially one like FX) in terms of longevity.

Sarah Popek:

I agree with Anna in that I was a little bit confused about the premise as well; essentially watching someone die for however many hours seems a little grim. What is the suspense if we know the main character is going to die? Is he or she looking to destroy the suitcase? Stop their impending death? Find out where the suitcase came from? I would really like to know more about your idea.

Matt Flocco

I dig it alot! It reminds me of the Bogart in Harry Potter haha. What is really cool with your format (similar to American Horror Story I believe), is that you can draw audience members in at the beginning of reach season without having to catch them up. The downside to this is that the audience will have to get to know a character and be satisfied with him/her in one season. There can definitely be an arc, but if a bad character is written/bad actor is chosen, an entire season could go down the drain. But I think it's a great idea, casting director and writers would take care of that haha.

Ashley Wolf:

This idea sounds very cool. As long as it doesn't turn out like Grimm did...I'd totally watch it. Grimm commercials got me pumped up....and they kinda failed miserably with their season thus far. The briefcase idea is pretty brilliant. Do this up!!!! Anything that takes on a mind of its own and changes from person to person has definitely got my attention.

Jackie Boerstler

I’m really interested in this show idea and the horror/mystery aspect of it. I’m not sure if you will be letting the audience know that this briefcase will lead them to their death in the beginning, but either way I think it could go both ways. I think the audience would try to piece together what will actually be killing them from what was found, or if they don’t know in the first season for instance that what is in the briefcase is going to eventually lead them to death at the end, but see that at the end and watch the next season, then the audience will catch on and know that whatever is in it will kill them, but it will become a mystery because they will just try to solve it more and more with every episode. Either way I love the concept and I think there is definitely and huge audience for this type of show.

David Gannon

I am really intrigued by this idea because this could be really interesting as long as each story seemed fresh and didn't come off as recycled. This could totally turn into a really great and cool show because of how intriguing the idea is. Personally if this was distributed through The CW or MTV I probably wouldn't watch it, just because of their track record. But if this were on FX, HBO or Showtime I would absolutely check it out. I honestly think that more cool things could be done for a show like this, if it was pitched to an HBO because there would be so much more freedom to express ideas.

Dominique Spooner: I'm with you on this show. I like how the contents of the briefcase play upon the characteristics and mental state of the person opening the briefcase. It does sound a little ambiguos as to how they'd die but other than that I like it. It sounds like it would be tought to produce in an annenberg studio. This would need professional lighting and things of that nature.

5. Where Are We?!

Samantha Antona
This is an Ipad (or other portable technology) based moving talk show, that takes place each week in a different location. The show hosts guests from all different subject areas, and will be filmed in a location that makes sense with their topic, or wherever they are from. The topics are meant to inspire teens, with future career goals, things they are interested in, anything, and much of the content would be based on audience feedback. Teens don't have many shows they can watch that they see real life people, or people they look up to giving them advice so that is what this would be for. Teens are also early innovators so they are more apt to use the phone/internet streaming technology that this show would be geared towards.

Kristopher Turner

Using current technology is defiantly a good idea. It is something a lot of the current talk shows on TV lack. Having the show on a show site would also allow for teens that don't own or can't afford and therefore use public libraries to be able to watch the show. Teen vary with early and late teen ages so is there a specific teen age group that is the target? By that this could turn into 2 shows one for 13-15/16 yr olds and one for 16-19 yr olds.

Jackie Boerstler

I think that this is a really original idea and type of show. We don’t see many of these types of shows out there, especially one geared toward a younger audience that can take something from the “realness” to it. Literally taking an Ipad anywhere you go and maybe having a specific topic or idea for that show to base off of would give it more direction and really send a message out to the viewers. This idea can really create other types of shows and expand with the feedback it would get. I definitely think it is something people would find worth watching.

6 The Other Side of Cooking

Kristopher Turner

This is a cooking/travel show. The chef will also be the host. The show focus on the chef going to a home of a low or middle class family and taking what is already in the house at the moment to create a meal. This will show the audience as well what kind of meals can be created on a budget. The host will also engage in conversations with the family on topics such as the economy and heritage. The difference of this cooking/travel shows and others like Anthony Bourdains is that the preparation and cooking of the meals with ingredients will be shown instead of just focusing on the conversations and the cooking happens on the side. The low costs of these meals will appeal to the family class and students living away from their parents. Costs can be offset by sponsorship of all the items used and since its a cooking on a budget type show these items would be found at local supermarkets where the audience shops. The target audience is low/middle class families and college students, so 18 - 50 year olds. The show can be distributed to Food Network, Cooking Channel, Travel Channel.

Helena Esdaile

I like this idea. It has a new twist to cooking shows. I feel like it would be interesting because it shows how people make their food when their on a budget. It will also show low/middle class families from different cultures, giving a variety of foods to choose from. It can also give people who are on a budget an idea of what to cook that tastes good. i would definitely watch this show because i can relate as a college student and being on a food budget.

Tim Wolfe
Very cool idea. It's simple, practical, and could be very useful for a lot of people. Sort of like Macgyver cooking tips. As much as I enjoy watching popular cooking shows like Iron Chef and Diners Drive-Ins and Dives, they are always such a tease because there is no way for me to recreate those meals with the limited contents of my kitchen (Tostitos, frozen pizza, easy mac, and Gatorade...not exactly high class cuisine). I would be able to relate to this show. Maybe at the end of each show or segment you could have the host go to the grocery store with the person/people he/she is helping so he/she could show them what kind of things to buy.

Riley Loula

I also really enjoy this idea. Being such a simple concept, it would be very easy to produce. I think the best part of this show is it's capability to cover both a wide range of ethnic backgrounds in America and also could divulge true American food heritage, such as the origin of barbecue sauce or where in America is the most delicious hot dog produced. I kind of see this idea as a special for the series, say like a summer barbecue edition. This would add the possibility of being a hybrid between No Reservations and Man vs. Food as well as emphasizing low income cooking habits.

Gary Halliwell

This is a great idea for a cooking show because viewers are able to relate to the premise. Not only is this show easy to relate to for the audience but it is also easy to produce. I think that the concept is good enough to the point where audiences would enjoy the simplicity and the challenge presented at each house. I like how this show can also show viewers how to cook on a budget and use typical household foods to create great meals.

Samantha Antona

I love cooking shows, I think most of them usually end up being a hit because everyone loves to watch people cook/get ideas to cook, and since this one is really realistic for anyone to watch, because they're making things on a budget I think there will be a large fanbase for it. I love the idea of cooking with different heritages, because sometimes I want to cook something "different" but I'm never really sure where to start or how expensive the ingrediants are. I also think this would be easy to produce as long as you got a few initial people on board, so go for it!

7. Jack of All Trades
James Seltzer
This show is a reality-competition show. The show will follow 16 contestants who are all really good at a lot of different things. The show will pit two contestants against each other on a weekly basis for the first 8 weeks with a winner each week. The 8 winners will then face off in a playoff bracket scenario. There will be another 4 head to head matchups to produce the next set of 4 winners. This will be followed by 2 head to head matchups that will produce the 2 finalists who will battle for the title of “Jack of All Trades” and win a monetary prize. The competition itself will feature the contestants squaring off in a number of different competitive events each week. There will be athletic events (i.e. one on one basketball, a tennis match, etc.), trivia games, puzzles, problem solving situations/games, endurance contests, fear related contests (fear factor type of stuff), and more. The idea is that the person winning each matchup is more skilled than their opponent in a variety of different competitions…thus the title for the show. “Jack of All Trades” is a mash up of many of the reality-competition shows out there now, combining elements of American Idol, Fear Factor, Survivor, and a slew of other shows, but doing it in a way that has not really been done before. The target audience is 18-45. The majority of the contestants will be in the 18-35 range, so the target audience is loosely based on that, but it really could appeal to anyone. Potential distributors would be the major broadcast networks as well as some cable networks on a smaller scale like Spike.

Tim Wolfe
I like this show because it takes a familiar premise in a different direction. There have been plenty of shows about "the best of the best", but very few if any about well-rounded individuals. This would be very appealing to an audience because although we may not want to admit it, very few of us are spectacularly gifted at one thing. A lot of people, however, are good or very good at several things, and those people are often forgotten. We can't all be like Tom Brady, Michael Jackson, and Bill Gates. I think it would be interesting to include some musical events as well, such as a singing competition, which of course would require judges. If you brought in celebrities to judge the singing that could draw more viewers in. Maybe you could add a small cooking competition in there too.

Ashley Wolf:

I LOVE THIS! The fact that they are competeing on many different levels is intense. Your search for people who know what all of those contests are about would be nuts. I'd totally watch this though. Going from basketball to cards to hackeysack to whatever is just...awesome. Not saying all those would be in your show, but still. I know i'd do good with all the physical stuff but mind games are just out for me...so seeing people take part in different games would be super interesting.

8. Bachelor Pad

Helena Esdaile

This is a reality show about the lives of single men. There will be a selection of about 7 men from different cities of the US. They will live in a mansion in a big city such as LA, NY, Miami, Las Vegas, etc. and let viewers into their personal lives as bachelors. All the partying, drinking, fighting, sex and drama will keep the viewers attention. The show will be for 12 weeks and every season there will be a new cast of men. The men will range from the 21 to 25. This reality show is similar to the Real World, Jersey Shore, the Bad Girls Club (except with men). This show could broadcast on MTV, VH1, or BET. It would be better to broadcast on these stations because this show would appeal to a younger audience.

Anna Aupperle:

I think this could really work on one of the networks you mentioned. However, I think this may be a bit too similar to programming they've already run presently and in the past. Reading your show idea makes me wonder - what would make Bachelor Pad any different from Jersey Shore or the Real World (apart from the fact that there are no women in the house)? Based on that similarity, I think there might be some issues with finding a core audience for this show.

Lauren Nucci

This is a good idea for a show, seeing that similar shows have succeeded. However, I personally would not watch the show and am sick of seeing a bunch of idiots doing nothing but getting drunk and having sex. How would you differentiate this from the Real world, since they all will be living in a lavish home together? The content will be hard to separate from the other shows you mentioned, since they are all pretty much about low-life people with no education doing stupid things. This is not in any way a personal critique of your idea, I know the show would be a success, but how could you go a step further and make it truly different from the other shows listed? If i seem hostile, it is only because I am jealous that people like Snooki have more money than most of us educated individuals will ever have!

Ashley WOlf:

YES YES YES YES YES! The fact that my age falls in the middle of the contestants ages really wins me over. But under one condition...these guys gotta be hot! haha this show would be a hit for sure though. A ton of girls watch reality shows so why not this one right? But one suggestion....there should be different types of guys....like the model, the nerd, the prep, the jock....all those typical stereotypes just to make it a bit more interesting.

Dominique Spooner: I am definantly in love with the idea of the show. It can go so many ways. If you get seven very different men you've got a social experiment, a sop opera, a drama, all wrapped in one. I think that you should also add that they go to work outside of their cushy little house to low a income area to help out with the less fortunate. This would be their job assignment they are responsible for the entire show. That would add flare to the show because it highlights a societal issue which appeals to peoples emotions and it causes for conflict like someone over sleeping all the time and not showing up for work.

9. Hazed

Jackie Boerstler

This show is a experimental/drama narrative show. The pilot show is going to introduce a girl named Ali who is just coming to the end of her high school career and getting ready to begin a new journey with her best friend Katie. Ali and Katie have knew each other since they were in diapers and have always planned to go to the same college together. They graduate and begin to pack up and head out to a college far from home. Ali's parents are really proud of how well she is doing considering the events that took place the summer before Ali left for school. After graduating Ali and all of her friends took a trip to Cancun, Mexico for beach week to celebrate the end of one chapter in her life and begin a new one. One night in Cancun Ali, her boyfriend, and Katie experience a life threatening accident that changed all of their lives. This accident took the lives of Ali’s boyfriend and best friend Katie, and put Ali in 2 weeks of a coma. Ali has been coping with the lose of her boyfriend, but does not realize Katie was also killed in the accident. Shows that are similar to this one would be Vampire Diaries, The Ringer, The Secret Circle, and Once Upon a Time. The target audience would be high school students, college students, or anyone from 16-40. This show would be distributed on networks such as The CW, FOX, or ABC.

Annaliese Morris

I think this would make a great drama show, I'm a little confused though on how she doesn't know that Katie has been dead for a year. The target audience seems spot on but the distribution is a little off I'd say. This show is dealing with loss and death, which makes me think it wouldn't be right for The CW, Fox, and ABC. I think it would be better suited for AMC, where shows that are slower paced like Walking Dead and Mad Men play. Or perhaps even Showtime, The Big C comes to mind. The main network that comes to mind though is Lifetime.

Anna Aupperle:

I think this idea sounds pretty awesome, and I could definitely see it finding a home on the CW! There seems to be a market now for teen dramas with a slightly mysterious, maybe even supernatural, element (especially from the network that has brought us 7 seasons of Supernatural!). I am a bit confused, though - can Ali can see her dead friend Katie (so, effectively, she doesn't know Katie died - sort of like a Sixth Sense thing)? While I'm intrigued by the plot, I think this would be fairly expensive to produce, given that it would probably be single-camera and sounds like it would involve many different setups to bring all the different story elements to life. That being said, though, I think this definitely "feels" like a CW show (whatever you could classify the CW "genre" as), and its target demo would have to be relatively young, as you have mentioned.

Bob Crouse

The target audience is spot on. I think this can go on any of the networks mentioned in you overview and in the comments. If ABC Family can air a show like Pretty Little Liars than they can absolutely air this. This does feel like it could play out in a way that is like the Sixth Sense, like Anna mentioned, where Ali doesn't know that Katie is dead. This show has a lot of potential and could easily be a hit series on any network.

Mary Rush

This sounds like a great idea for a drama. However, what will happen with the show after the audience also finds out Katie is dead? Does the show end after Ali finds out? If it doesn't, how does it go on? I still think it's a great start, and the audience and distribution sounds solid. Develop a more cohesive and detailed plot to follow this initial shock and I think you've got an awesome, solid show.

10. Pope Opera
Tim Wolfe
This is a narrative comedy/mockumentary show about a fictitious reality show in which a group of Roman Catholic Cardinals compete to become the next pope. The show will follow the cardinals throughout the process of the reality show (of the same name - Pope Opera) and focus primarily on the off-camera, behind-the-scenes events. Viewers will also see competitions/voting ceremonies during the reality show but from a producer’s perspective. The crux of the show will lie in the unique personalities of the cardinals who, despite being well-respected men of the church, behave very similarly to “average” people. In doing this, Pope Opera will aim to poke fun at modern day reality shows while portraying a seemingly very serious profession in a new light. The show will also do something rare by featuring a cast comprised mainly of older or elderly men. Think of it as Survivor, The Office, and Golden Girls all mixed into one show, with a hint of Grumpy Old Men. The target audience would be very broad for this show, mainly because of its ridiculous premise. It would appeal to teens and young adults because it is reality show based, but it would also appeal to the 55 and older demographic because it features people close to their age. The humor would be rather tame and clever, much like Modern Family, which would add to its broad appeal. The show could be distributed to the major broadcast networks.

James Seltzer
I love this idea. It is hilarious. I think there is so much room for potential humor here that it would make a great show. The key to making it work would be having a great script and hiring the right actors. I think that finding a way to introduce some female characters would be a good idea. Maybe on the production side for example. Maybe the producer or director of the fake doc/reality show could be a woman. I just think that adding some female characters would add viewership potential by appealing to a wider audience, but would also be a great addition in terms of comedic potential. This would allow you to add in more sex/dirty humor which I think would help because of the fact that the characters are supposed to be holier than thou. Either way though, I really dig the idea.

Matt Flocco

Love it. I'm Catholic and have some huge qualms with the church (or rather the higher ups), but I think this could be really genuine and heartfelt, while balls-out hilarious at the same time. I love the fact that they are shown as "human." We often forget that people we revere from a young age; teachers, parents, religious leaders...were and are just like us. The fact that you're making it a comedy tackles but brings some levity to the key issues that the church has been facing. Very excited and would love to be a part if it were produced.

David Gannon

I'm a big fan of the title. It's hilarious and I think this is a tremendous idea for a show. It would probably be a show I would regularly watch as long as I liked the characters. In terms of the religious aspect, I always find religious parodies to be hilarious because of how many ways it can be done. This show could turn into something that is extremely hilarious. I think that some people may be rubbed the wrong way by it, but those people would probably think that without even watching the show. It would be bound to draw attention because religion is such a hot topic. I personally think the idea is great and could work really well.

11. CRAZY
Sarah Popek

A procedural dark comedy, CRAZY will focus on recent college grad Eddie, who is obsessed with the paranormal and who hunts ghosts with his 5 roommates while also battling schizophrenia. I really wanted to explore the idea of mental illness and its effect on those around us, as well as the idea that maybe some people are more receptive to things like the paranormal than others. I’m not interested in definitively saying whether or not ghosts exist, or if there’s a heaven and hell or anything else like that, so the camera will see what Eddie sees, which may or may not be what actually exists – whether or not the ghosts that Eddie sees are real or hallucinations will be left ambiguous. The pilot will function as a prologue to position Eddie and his roommates as amateur ghost hunters; a new roommate (Angelique) will be introduced in the pilot but die by the end, and her ghost will remain visible to Eddie for the remainder of the season. Each episode after will be somewhat procedural, in that Eddie and his roommates decide to become amateur ghost hunters and receive a new case each week. With this element, I wanted to play on the fact that these are recent college grads who have absolutely no idea how to deal with ghosts, so they rely on Eddie’s knowledge and Wikipedia to do most of their research. Throughout the rest of the season, Eddie will deal with Angelique’s death as well as his schizophrenia, and each of his roommates will play a part in the story as well. This show would be kind of like Community but with ghosts, or similar to Supernatural and Psych. I haven’t decided yet if I think it would work best on a network like The CW or if I would want to tailor it to FX or even Showtime. I would like to know if you guys think it’s a sustainable premise, if it makes sense (I know I haven’t done the greatest job of explaining it above), and if you would watch if it was on.
In the interest of full disclosure: this idea was jointly conceived by me and one of my friends, and it was one of her friends who was the inspiration for the show. If this idea goes any further, I plan to continue working with her as my writing partner (is that okay?).

Annaliese Morris

I like the idea for this show but the name seems exploitative. The name CRAZY could offend many people especially those with mental illness who might construe it as a link between those with mental illness as something freaky and scary/weird. I suggest changing this name and be thoughtful with how you portray Eddie in this show. With that said I think this would be best suited on FX or Showtime! It would be cool to watch something like Ghost Whisperer that isn't hopelessly stupid (sorry fans of Ghost Whisperer)

Riley Loula

I really dig this idea. I as well am very interested in the exploration of mental illness in film or television. I think this idea could go even further if the viewer was unaware of Eddie's illness, because it can truly convince the viewer that they are witnessing reality, just as a protagonist thinks he is just as sane. Consider it a mind fuck if you will, Shutter Island, The Sixth Sense or A Beautiful Mind being examples. Including the paranormal into the plot just opens up many more opportunities for story ideas that could really work well and doesn't seem necessarily complex to produce.

12. The Locker Room

Bob Crouse

The show idea I liked the most was my narrative/mocumentary show called, The Locker Room. The show would be done in a style like The Office and Modern Family. It would be done in a comedic, Mocumentary style where a professional hockey team would be followed around to every game, practice and P.R. event for the team. We would also see what it’s like to be and NHL general manager as players are traded, released and signed through out the series but they are usually not the best decisions a G.M. should make. There would be a steady cast that is primarily concentrated on with several special guest appearances by actual NHL players. The target audience for the show would be anyone who is a sports fan, but mainly a hockey fan, with a specific age group of 18 to 45 year old viewers. The primary distributor for this series would be HBO because I feel that in order to capture the true nature of a NHL locker room, the viewer needs to here exactly what is normally said in a locker room and not a PG version of it. Cursing happens a lot in professional sports and is very common in the adult atmosphere. The show would be available, immediately after it is aired, On Demand or TiVo. Of course, after it’s original airing, the show can be syndicated to sports networks across the country, like ESPN and Comcast Sportsnet, where a censored version of each episode can be aired with commercials, if necessary.

Sarah Popek:

I really love this idea. Maybe you would want to consider centering it around a local, amateur, or semi-professional team instead of a professional one, because I feel like there would be more dysfunction (and more drama) with a smaller team with less means. Also, do you plan on making the show broad enough for non-hockey fans to be able to participate, or were you thinking of it having a more insular feel? I think this could attract a broad audience - you would just need to make sure there was enough non-hockey material to keep non-sports fans (like me) interested.

James Seltzer
I like this idea as well. I think that marketing it to HBO is a great idea because I agree that a hockey locker room needs to be a place that can be raucous and inappropriate, but I also think that you could make it work on a channel like FX and really only have to tone it down slightly. I really like Sarah's idea that it should be based on a minor league or amateur hockey league. That would allow for far more dysfunction and hilarity that a professional NHL team would be. It would have more of a "Slap Shot" feel than a "24/7" feel which is what I think you are going for. Definitely like the idea though and think it has a lot of potential.

Gary Halliwell

I like this idea too mostly because as a big fan of sports myself I feel like we are denied the access to see what really goes on within an organization. This show definitely could work on a network like Spike, or FX but a spot on HBO or Showtime could really put it over the top with its ability to curse and use uncensored emotion. I agree with what Sarah said though by using an amateur hockey team rather than a professional one because I feel like there are a lot more dysfunctional situations that could occur and seem likely. The show I proposed has a similar premise but the format would be closer to that of a show like The League, or Blue Mountain State so maybe we could work together on this idea.

Samantha Antona

I'm definitely into this idea, and almost surprised it isn't out there already!? I love sports, and always wonder what really happens behind the scenes versus what they actually tell you happens so the show would definitely be a catch. I think in the past a hockey show may not have worked as well, but it seems to be a sport that is becoming bigger and bigger so now is definitely the time to do a show focused around it, even if a smaller team had to be used to make it happen at first, and maybe if its successful it could catch on to an NHL team.

13. Juic'd

Riley Loula

Juic'd is a narrative drama based upon the use of performance enhancing drugs by three high school athletes is the United States. Drew, a freshman ice hockey player from Boston Massachusetts, is determined to gain attention from Canadian scouts the the Quebec Hockey League. While his quickness, skill and determination remains unquestioned, scouts have issue with his lack of grittiness and size, two factors that could diffuse his dream of becoming an NHL player. Jaime, a sophomore Peruvian immigrant who's family settled in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, has been a highly touted running back and wide receiver since middle school, when the former varsity football coach noticed him on a soccer field. A compassionate and old man, the coach convinced Jaime to play football "part time" while maintaining focus on soccer. When Jaime came to high school though, a new, young, competitive coach has taken the reigns and looks to steer Jaime away from soccer forever. Mark is a Junior baseball pitcher/outfielder from Oakland, CA with natural born talent. Although he loves the sport dearly, Mark sees life in a simplistic manner, leaving scouts and fans wondering if he will ever seriously take the next step after high school. Highly recruited as a sophomore, Mark's mother sees the opportunity her son is seemingly throwing away, and suggests he begin working out with her husband and Mark's step father, Greg. The stories will intertwine the lives of the three young men over the school year, only coming together at the season (or series?) finale. The pilot episode would be an introductory to all three boy's lives, and would end with all three being offered performance enhancers or steroids. A similar show would be Friday Night Lights, and the drama would be shot as a more complex quality drama but as a hybrid of single camera, amateur style and three camera, studio style. Being a more complex show, I believe it would tailor to an HBO or Showtime audience. The target audience for this show would be very wide. Both high school and college athletes would have interest, as well as high school and college sports fans such as parents or coaches. The television viewer between 16-25 would make up the majority of the age group, with a minor 35-45 age group as well in parents, coaches and older sports fans.

Matt Flocco

Great idea, Riley. I can definitely see the Friday Night Lights overtone, and I think it could be done really well. My favorite aspect is that you have three students from three different areas. I guess my only question is what would happen for the second season? If you brought them all together for the season finale, what would happen in the second season. Also, I think the only issue with it is that it focuses solely on steroids. While I think that is great and extremely focused, you might run into problems finding more and more obstacles for the characters to come over after one season. One thing that might be really neat (without stepping on toes), is to explore it from the angle of the male body image. There are so many shows that deal with self-esteem for women and body image for women, but it might be really neat to show these macho-man male characters as vulnerable to its audience. Very cool stuff.

Gary Halliwell

I like how this show has the element of using different areas interchangeably throughout the show. The biggest issue as Matt previously stated is what exactly would happen in the second season? If you consistently change the cast I find it hard for audiences to develop a real connection with the characters. Another issue I find with this idea is that production costs would be higher due to filming in three different locations. Outside of those two issues, I can definitely see a show here. I think it really would play well into the teenage audience who could relate to what the characters go through within the season. Although you said this show would be tailored for either HBO or Showtime, I believe it could definitely work on a network like NBC and would reach a wider span of the target audience in doing so.

14. Philly Painters

Annaliese Morris

Philly Painters is a documentary style show that will showcase the graffiti art around Philadelphia. The audience will get to know the history of graffiti, and also get to know the people who do or used to write in the city. There is usually a bad connotation about graffiti in the city, what with Philly's Anti-Graffiti Network. This art form is characterized as a form of vandalism and something that needs to be combated, I would like to portray it in a positive light and educate the viewers more about why people choose to do urban art and what it is all about. There are great stories about run ins with the police, sneaking in places, and rivals with other graffiti 'gangs' that would make for great TV. This show will also talk about the creativity and different art forms people utilize when painting in the city. Since most members of this show will obviously want anonymity, bandanas and blurring of faces will be used to protect them. Philly Painters' target audiences will be age 16-35 mainly, Philadelphia residents, and also creative types who have an interest in art.
I believe this show would fare well on TLC if it went more of the reality/documentary route, or possibly Showtime and HBO if it went more of the actually documentary/real look into graffiti route I would like to take.

Lauren Nucci

I absolutely love this idea for a show! People all over would certainly watch a Philadelphia-based show, since it is one of the biggest homes to graffiti art. The focus of this show could either be about art in different cities, or just focus on a few Philly painters and follow them around and show their artwork and their life endeavors around the artwork. If the people wanted to remain silent, you could use voice-overs over their images while they describe the troubles they face when painting the art. I think this show would be a success since graffiti art is so prevalent in America and popular in Philly.

Tim Wolfe
Very cool and original idea. I think there's a lot of potential for interesting back-stories and real life drama between the graffiti artists, the police, and the community. I've always found graffiti to be very intriguing so this would be a great way to learn more about it. It would be interesting to see the different kinds of people that are doing all of this graffiti. I know some of it is gang related, but what if there is a normal dude (or dudette) who works in a pharmacy during the day then puts street clothes on and turns into this underground graffiti genius in the middle of the night. It could be interesting if you take part in the documentary as well and sort of act as a student or apprentice of a graffiti artist, sort of like the way the guy on Dirty Jobs partakes in all the jobs they showcase.

Bob Crouse

I feel this would be a great show to do. I drive to and from school everyday, and on many of the buildings in the city will have a large, blank wall on one side of it. A few days later I'll drive by again and see the whole face of the building with an amazing portrait on it. I feel if you were to focus on the people who aren't paid to do this, asking questions about when is the best time to paint without getting caught, or how fast can they paint a wall by themselves. This definitely feels like something The Discovery Channel, or another similar channel, would love to film.

Meghan Coronado

This is a really cool idea! It's really simple, yet there has very been a show like this so it makes it really original. Would you be filming them as they do it? Maybe it would be kind of dangerous (but interesting---would be GREAT for TV if it actually happened) if you were filming and they had to run from the cops (maybe they would try and tie you to it so there may be legal issues?) or run from rival gangs or artists(?) who were shooting at them, harassing them, or tried to fight? I mean there are always dangerous situations for videographers like that but I'm just saying maybe you should take that into account. I really like street art, and a lot of people do so I think there would be a large audience for this show.

15. Think Your A Sports Guru?

David Gannon

Think Your A Sports Guru? is a sports based game show that involves contestants to answer sports trivia questions and also do certain sport related challenges. The show will be set up with 8 contestants going one on one with each other, sort of like Nickelodeons GUT's or Legends of the Hidden Temple. Contestants will be asked a series of sports related questions and then if they get a certain number correct, they will have to do a sports challenge. Each challenge will depend on what sport is being asked about in what round. The final round will be the last two contestants left battling against each other in a speed trivia round. The faster they answer the questions, the quicker they can get to the final sports challenge. It would be a half hour long show and air on a channel like ESPN. It will be targeted for people who love sports and think they know a lot about it. Target audience would probably be in the 18-45 range.

16. Abroad

Matthew Flocco

Abroad is a narrative dramedy about college students studying abroad in a foreign country. It will focus both on the excitement of the area, the touristy aspects of it, but also the more serious concepts of living in a foreign country. These would include struggles with identity, relationships, language, etc. It would be an ensemble piece showing both students and faculty. I would want it to explore how Americans are viewed in other countries, for better or for worse. It would follow the same "teen/college" soap format as Glee, The O.C., Greek, One Tree Hill, and Friday Night Lights. Target audience would be college and high school students, as well as foreign audience. There are multiple ways in which it could be formatted.

1. Choosing one location for the whole series. Each season is a new batch of students (some may overlap, if they decide to study abroad longer or move to the country, for example), but the same faculty. This is similar to Glee's approach beginning with season four, in which many of the characters will graduate from high school and new ones will be brought in.
2. Choosing multiple locations for each season. Each features the same batch of students but different faculty members based on the country. This is not as realistic, and we would need to find some realistic way in which the characters would be able to study abroad multiple times.
3. Each season is a completely new location with a new group of characters, similar to American Horror Story's approach beginning next season. This will allow the audience to enter at any season without having to catch up, but does not get the audience as engaged with the characters.

Riley Loula

I like the idea, Matt. It's kind of confusing me who's studying where from the description, so I'll try to work it out in writing. I like the idea of American's studying abroad in different countries. I think it would be great to start a first season, say in Rome, where the culture is seemingly completely opposite than America. I think it could be a hybrid of maintaining characters through seasons, but then maneuvering to different students. If we go with Rome for example, the last few episodes of the first season could be about one of the students falling in love with an Italian student, who then travels to study abroad in America for the second season. I think linking student experiences in different countries throughout the series would be awesome. Like yourself, don't mean to step on toes, just offering another opinion. Having a narrative is key, I think, as The O.C. is one of my favorite series of all time, I love the narrative dramedy approach.

Jackie Boerstler

This show really caught my attention, and is something that I could find myself interested in watching. The fact that there are multiple ways to go about doing the show makes it easier to think about as far as production. When we talked in class about reversing the whole thing and having students from other countries study abroad in the U.S. kind of puts a twist on things and is something you could actually try to produce here on campus. All of which would still incorporate your original concept and the different struggles they would go through while studying abroad. I could definitely see this show being like a One Tree Hill kind of thing, with heavy drama and targeting teens and college students.

David Gannon

I really thought that this was a good idea because of how relevant it is for me right now. I think a lot could be done in terms of story for a show like this and it could be really interesting showing the dynamic of American college students experiencing life in other countries. I agree with the idea of following new people every season and hopefully it could change locations every season too. You could totally get a lot of college students to tune into this type of show because it is so relevant.

Mary Rush

I loved this idea when you shared it in class - the format of it has been proven to work (with shows like The Real World, Jersey Shore, etc.) but it's just different enough that we could gain even more of an audience. It would be easy to film since I'm sure there's tons of abroad students who would love to sign up, and maybe even cheap because we wouldn't have to fly them to the location ourselves.

17. The Bullpen

Gary Halliwell

The Bullpen is a narrative comedy that follows a young athlete just drafted out of college into the Major League of Baseball as a starting pitcher. The series will revolve around the main character's development as a professional and as a teammate but also around adapting to his new environment and surroundings. Being one of the most talented pitchers to come out of collegiate sports in some time, expectations are high and the pressure to perform is even higher. The main character's main issue is adapting to his new bullpen of teammates where he will have to go through a process of initiation in order to gain the respect of his peers. The series will follow the main character as he: develops into a premier pitcher in the MLB, finds new friends within the new team, discovers the strange yet incredibly diverse personalities of fellow pitchers in the bullpen, learns how to carry on a social life while still being a professional, deals with the hazing of teammates, and essentially learns the ropes of what it takes to succeed as a pitcher in the MLB through the experiences of his own and other players. This show would mainly take place within a baseball stadium, bullpen, locker room, and occaisional bars. Shows similar to this format would be East Bound and Down, The League, and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. The target audience would most clearly be sports fans who could live vicariously through the experiences of the main character and people who could relate to being in awkward situations where you don't exactly fit in. This show would probably be geared more towards an age group of 18-49.

Mary Rush

This is a great idea because it could potentially harmonize an audience of sports and non-spots fans. Sports fans would of course we drawn to the athletic aspect, and then non-sports fans can enjoy the comedy and character development. I'd like to hear a more detailed description of how the first season would run. Seems like it wouldn't be cheap to shoot however, but nonetheless it would be worth the money in my opinion.

19. School and Life
Dominique Spooner
This is a teen drama exploring the lives of eight teenagers who are maneuvering there way through high school, interacting with each other because of situations they are thrown into that are out of their countrol. All of these teenagers are minorities; perdominantly black and hispanic. This show gives minority teens a show that mirrors themselves and the issues they face as well as teach them strategies to tackle the societal issues they face everyday. The show will depict the many sub-cultures within people of the black race, as well the sub-cultures in the hispanic race. The students parents and teachers will play unique roles within the show but are not the foundation, simply one of the building blocks. The mission of the show is to shed light upon the lives of minority adolescents and to show a side other than what mainstream media shows. I would also like to utilize this show as a positive influence on the viewers. I would like people from the ages of 15-25 to watch it and I would like people of all races to view the show.